Q232017: HOWTO: Add Text to Toolbar Buttons

Article: Q232017
Product(s): Microsoft C Compiler
Version(s): winnt:
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbCmnCtrls kbMFC kbToolbar KbUIDesign kbGrpDSMFCATL
Last Modified: 15-MAR-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- The Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) 
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SUMMARY
=======

After adding button labels to a toolbar that is already created, it is necessary
to resize the toolbar to accommodate the labels. This can be done using the
CToolBar::SetSizes() function.

MORE INFORMATION
================

A toolbar can display text labels in two different ways: below the button icon
or to the right of the icon. In order to display it at the right of the icon the
style bit TBSTYLE_LIST needs to be specified when creating the toolbar.

The following steps show how to add button labels and resize the standard toolbar
for an AppWizard generated MFC SDI or MDI application. The code handles the case
of a regular toolbar or a toolbar with the list style set. TBSTYLE_LIST raises
one problem that you need to be aware of: when hiding the text labels you need
to remove this style bit in order for the button icons to be drawn correctly.

1. Create an SDI or MDI MFC AppWizard project.

2. Add a class derived from CToolBar to the project; in the code below, this is
  CMyToolBar.

3. Copy the following code to the .cpp file for the CMyToolBar class.

     struct tbblabel
     {
        UINT id;
        char *label;
     };

     static tbblabel standardBarLabels[] = 
     {
        { ID_FILE_NEW, "File New" },
        { ID_FILE_OPEN, "File Open" },
        { ID_FILE_SAVE, "File Save" },
        { ID_EDIT_CUT, "Cut" },
        { ID_EDIT_COPY, "Copy" },
        { ID_EDIT_PASTE, "Paste" },
        { ID_FILE_PRINT, "Print" },
        { ID_APP_ABOUT, "About" }
     };

     void CMyToolBar::SetLabels(BOOL bShow /*= TRUE*/)
     {
        if (m_rBigBtn.Size() != CSize(0, 0))
           return;

        // Get the first button size before adding the labels.
        GetItemRect(0, &m_rSmallBtn);

        int cButtons = sizeof(standardBarLabels) / sizeof(standardBarLabels[0]);
        for( int nButton = 0; nButton < cButtons; nButton++ )
        {
           int nButtonIndex = CommandToIndex( standardBarLabels[nButton].id );
           if (!SetButtonText( nButtonIndex, standardBarLabels[nButton].label ))
              TRACE("failed SetButtonText(%d, \"%s\").\n",
                     nButtonIndex, standardBarLabels[nButton].label);
        }

        // Get the first button size after adding the labels.
        GetItemRect(0, &m_rBigBtn);

        ShowLabels(bShow);
     } 

     void CMyToolBar::ShowLabels(BOOL bShow /*= TRUE*/)
     {
        // Remember that if the toolbar had the TBSTYLE_LIST set 
        //    the first time ShowLabels() was called.
        static BOOL bIsList = GetStyle() & TBSTYLE_LIST;
        // Set the toolbar button sizes.
        if (bShow)
        {
           if (bIsList)
              ModifyStyle(0, TBSTYLE_LIST);
           SetSizes(m_rBigBtn.Size(), m_sizeImage);
        }
        else
        {
           if (bIsList)
              ModifyStyle(TBSTYLE_LIST, 0);
           SetSizes(m_rSmallBtn.Size(), m_sizeImage);
        }
     }

Note that the last statement in CMyToolBar::ShowLabels() uses the protected
member variable of CToolBar, m_sizeImage. As this is an undocumented member
variable of CToolBar, this variable may not exist in future implementations of
CToolBar.

4. Add a declaration for the SetLabels() and ShowLabels() functions to the
  CMyToolBar class. Also add two protected data members of type CRect as shown
  below:

  public:
  	void SetLabels(BOOL bShow /*= TRUE*/);
  	void ShowLabels(BOOL bShow /*= TRUE*/);
  protected:
  	CRect	m_rBigBtn;
  	CRect	m_rSmallBtn;

5. Change the type of the CMainFrame::m_wndToolBar member to CMyToolBar. The
  file where CMyToolBar is defined must be #included in the MainFrm.h file.

6. After the toolbar has been created in CMainFrame::OnCreate() call SetLabels()
  like this:

  m_wndToolBar.SetLabels(m_wndToolBar.GetStyle() & TBSTYLE_LIST);

  This call ensures that the toolbar is initially displayed with the text labels
  if the toolbar has the TBSTYLE_LIST style or without, if the toolbar does not
  have this style.

7. You can now add a message handler to your main frame class that toggles the
  toolbar labels on/off by calling CMyToolBar::ShowLabels() and RecalcLayout().

  m_wndToolBar.ShowLabels(TRUE);
  RecalcLayout(TRUE);

REFERENCES
==========

- CToolBar::SetSizes located in \MFC\SRC\BARTOOL

- CPPCFrameWnd::RecalcLayout() located in \MFC\SRC\WINFRM.CPP.

- Toolbar styles

Additional query words: CToolbarCtrl resize text labels

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Keywords          : kbCmnCtrls kbMFC kbToolbar KbUIDesign kbGrpDSMFCATL 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbMFC
Version           : winnt:
Issue type        : kbhowto

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